Gaethje wiped out Patishnock with a savage volley of standing
strikes to become the inaugural World Series of Fighting
lightweight champion in the WSOF 8 headliner on Saturday at the
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla. A
short-notice replacement for the injured Lewis
Gonzalez, Patishnock (6-2, 2-1 WSOF) wilted 69 seconds into
round one.

There was no feeling-out process. Gaethje (11-0, 4-0 WSOF) stormed
out of the gate, and Patishnock met him with some heavy artillery.
Gaethje walked through his punches and delivered some of his own in
return, badly staggering the Team Chamber MMA representative with a
right hook. From there, Patishnock was on borrowed time. A
hailstorm of uppercuts, knees and standing elbows came next,
forcing referee Troy Waugh to
intervene.

“All the years are paying off right now,” Gaethje said. “We haven’t
worked one elbow all camp, to tell you the truth. Coach is just
always telling me to have fun out there and stay creative.”

‘Rumble’ Johnson KOs Kyle

Photo: D.
Mandel/Sherdog.com

Johnson lamped Kyle at 2:03.

Blackzilians export Anthony
Johnson knocked out Mike Kyle with
a counter right hook in the first round of their light heavyweight
co-main event. Kyle (20-11-1, 0-2 WSOF) collapsed to the canvas
facedown and unconscious 2:03 into round one.

Johnson (16-4, 3-0 WSOF) shrugged off a single-leg takedown attempt
and subsequent clinch from the American Kickboxing Academy veteran,
drawing him into a firefight after their skirmish against the cage.
Both men let the fists fly, with Johnson connecting on the
fight-ending blow.

The 29-year-old Dublin, Ga., native has rattled off six consecutive
victories since being released by the Ultimate Fighting
Championship after his January 2012 defeat to Vitor
Belfort.

Aguilar Submits Gray, Captures Strawweight Crown

Photo: D.
Mandel/Sherdog.com

Aguilar put Gray away in round one.

American Top Team’s Jessica
Aguilar submitted Alida Gray
with a first-round arm-triangle choke to become the first women’s
strawweight champion in World Series of Fighting history. Gray
(4-1, 0-1 WSOF) tapped out 2:45 into round one.

Aguilar (17-4, 1-0 WSOF) secured a takedown inside the first 30
seconds and went to work in half guard. The 31-year-old softened
Gray with elbows, locked in the choke and cleared the judoka’s
guard for the finish. Aguilar, the world’s top-ranked women’s
strawweight, has won her last eight fights.

“It’s been eight years coming,” she said. “It’s a lot of hard work
that I’ve done, and it all paid off right here. I want to thank
American Top Team for creating me.”

‘Ultimate Fighter’ Alum Bollinger Upsets Nam

Photo: D.
Mandel/Sherdog.com

Bollinger outpointed Nam on the cards.

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 18 castoff Cody
Bollinger won for the third time in four appearances, as he
upset Sports Lab export Tyson Nam by
unanimous decision in a featured bantamweight affair. All three
judges arrived at the same verdict: 29-28 for Bollinger (15-2, 1-0
WSOF).

Neither man made a serious move in a largely forgettable encounter,
as they pecked away at one another for 15 minutes. Bollinger was
the more aggressive and diverse fighter, scoring with knees, kicks
and punches from the perimeter, his length clearly frustrating his
counterpart.

Nam (12-6, 0-2 WSOF) did his best work in the second round, where
he grazed the 22-year-old with a right hook, trailed Bollinger to
the canvas when he lost his footing and pounced with punches.
However, Bollinger escaped damage and returned to his feet without
much resistance, the two bantamweights resuming their dance.

Palomino KOs Patino in Debut

Photo: D.
Mandel/Sherdog.com

Palomino knocked out Macaco.

Luis
Palomino knocked out former two-division Legacy Fighting
Championship titleholder Jorge Patino
with a ringing right hand and follow-up ground strikes in the
second round of their lightweight showcase. Palomino (22-9, 1-0
WSOF) drew the curtain 4:20 into round two.

While he struck for a pair of first-round takedowns, Patino
(35-15-2, 0-1 WSOF) was neutralized by his adversary’s airtight
guard; and he was a sitting duck on the feet. Palomino racked
“Macaco” with damaging combinations, staggering him on more than
one occasion.

In the second round, the MMA Masters representative zapped Patino
with a wicked right cross, drove him to the mat and knocked him
senseless with a series of unanswered blows at the base of the
cage.